Japan court rules TEPCO must pay after suicide

Japanese nuclear energy firm Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) must pay 49 million yen (£285,000) worth of compensation to the family of a woman whose suicide was linked to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, according to reports.

A district court in the Fukushima prefecture ruled TEPCO was responsible for the suicide, reported Reuters.

The lawsuit was brought to courts by Mikio Watanabe, who claimed the power company was to blame for his 58-year-old wife Hamako setting herself alight with petrol in July 2011 after a spell of depression.

The family was one of thousands forced to evacuate their homes following fears of radiation, after an earthquake and tsunami prompted a triple blowout of nuclear reactors at the Fukushima power plant in March 2011.

TEPCO responded to the ruling by saying it hopes the deceased will “rest in peace”, adding it will look at the ruling so it can “continue to act sincerely”, reported Japanese broadcaster NHK.